Sky Dragons
by accipiter
Summary: Now up to 13 chapters! Story slightly related to Eragon, with no characters from the book. Please feel free to review and read any or all of the chapters.
1. Prologe

_The first segment of a series of dragons, warriors, and the sky…_

**Prologue**

The wind whistled as it whipped by the cabin window that was slightly open. The cabin it led to was one of small proportions, not like on of the state rooms that were occupied by the paying passengers in the forward car. It contained a modest bunk, a sink, and a series of shelves built into the wall. Outside, birds flew in tight circles above the airship and danced in the reflected light off its hull.

The owner of the room was busy in the dining room in the forward car, serving the guests wine as they ate the elegant fare. The menu tonight was roast duck, a delicacy in the sky. Of course, none of the staff was allowed to eat the same food and was fed mallan, a type of bird found only at high altitudes that were easy to catch. It had been good enough and the owner enjoyed it nonetheless.

Martin had been serving aboard zeppelins for twenty years, having been taken on as a boy. In that time he had served on many airships, some better, some worse than the current one. He had seen many things in those years and the younger stewards aboard enjoyed listening to these stories at night in the crew mess.

One of these stories was about a rumor that floated between ships when at the docks. Many beasts had been discovered in the skies, all brand new to humans. One of which was the dragon. Only sightings were reported and only of them racing away through a cloud. Marvin himself had never seen one, but he related stories to the young ones for entertainment.

A soft bell brought him back to his senses to find that the tables were being cleared of plates and that the captain had stood to make the daily announcements.

"Honored guests, today was our fourth day aloft. According to the wind charts and our current speed, we will be reaching our destination in two days. Conditions will be favorable for the rest of the trip and you should be comfortable for the duration of the flight."

The passengers clapped politely and the captain left to see to his duties. Martin sighed and set the bottle he was holding on the nearest tray. He would be home in two day and could then file for retirement. He would miss flying but all the same…

The passengers sat in the lounge for some time and Martin returned to his room. He closed the window, but as he did, noticed a blur in the clouds ahead. Curious, he made his way to the control room.

When he arrived, he knew he hadn't been the only one. A buzz of excitement was in the air. Binoculars were being pointed ahead as crewmen searched the skies ahead.

"Martin, come look," commander a crewman as he handed Martin a telescope, "What is it?"

Martin looked and adjusted the lens. He gasped and stared at the airship, dark in color that was floating along inside the cloud, her hull dulled and propellers turning slowly. It was not of any airline that he knew.

"Helmsman, five degrees down. Bering two-eighty degrees left rudder. Let's go take a look."


	2. Chapter 1: Discovery

**Chapter 1: Discovery**

The mystery airship became clearer and clearer as the ship Martin was aboard changed course. They could now see that the ship was dulled intentionally and that its construction was different than anyone had seen before. It was smaller and more agile than the _Wind Rider_, Martin's ship. It had only one car that span the entire gas bag. Its propeller car was much bigger and housed three props instead of the _Wind Rider's _two. Along the port side ran a large opening that was not different from the airplane hanger on the _Wind Rider's_ aft section. No name could be found any where on the ship, as required by the airlines agreements, but also no pirate mark was visible either.

The Wind Rider settled into a space two hundred feet of the others ship's bow and stopped. Nothing happened. All was quiet.

"Helmsman, bring us within boarding distance. I want to see the inside of this thing. I think it may be a ghost ship, and in that case, needs to be recorded."

The wheel was turned and slowly the ghostly ship came closer and closer. It seemed inhabited but no form of life could be seen.

"All crew in duty set A will be sent aboard; all in B stay on the Wind Rider and keep the passengers occupied. Open the port doors and use the planks, those are the safest, and be careful."

Martin became excited as he realized that he would go aboard. His heart beat fast as he made his way to the hanger and put on the leather jacket and safety harness offered to him. Planks were run across the gap and the team of thirty men made their way into the ghost ship.

All was dark and quiet, but strangely comforting in the first room they arrived in. Martin guessed that this was the kitchen or mess room of the ship, as there was a long table in the middle of the room. Four places could be found at the table and cups and a pitcher of water sat in the middle. It was cool to the touch and had cubes of ice in it.

The next room they found was long with strange patterns laid into the floor. Basic swords hung on the walls in special groves. A dozen or so of these were empty.

Every other door was locked so they returned to the Wind Rider. Once inside, the planks were drawn in but the connecting ropes were left to hold the ghost ship to the Wind Rider for further exploration later.

The next morning found the two ships in the middle of a dense cloud. The captain ordered the Wind Rider and her companion above the cloud level and into the sunshine.

Martin decided to use his spare time to use a telescope to examine the other craft from the hangar, so he wandered along the catwalk to the rear and climbed down into the hanger. Momentarily blinded by the sun now streaming in the open door, he didn't notice the two figures sitting in the doorway. One was a tall man stretching his arms, and the other, a massive dragon with half its body hanging out the hanger doorway and enjoying the sunshine.

The stranger turned and noticed Martin. He waved and cut the last rope holding the two ships together with a large sword. He saluted Martin and jumped out the door, the dragon one step behind him.


	3. Chapter 2: Confrontation

**Chapter 3: Confrontation**

Martin hesitated for a moment before running to the door. He looked out and saw the dragon and rider below, both falling toward the land. The two slowly merged into one figure and swept back upward to the ghost ship that was drifting slowly away.

Martin turned and ran back to the control room and arrived in front of the captain. After he had explained his short meeting, the captain flew into action.

"Full right rudder, down ten degrees, left engine ahead full, right back. Let's turn this ship around!"

The Wind Rider turned very slowly and came to course on the tail of the ghost ship. The captain realigned the ship and ordered that the ship be brought along side. The slowly caught up the other vessel and pulled along side. Just as the engines were being slowed, a message came up from the hanger.

"Captain, intruders in the hanger, two dragons and their riders. No words from them yet but the haven't seen us. They are armed but don't seem hostile. Orders?"

The captain responded and told the workmen to stay hidden while he formed a party of crewmen to meet the visitors. Martin was not one of them, but he followed them from a distance. The party arrived in the hanger and formed a group a safe distance from the riders and dragons. Martin saw that the captain had his revolver tucked in his belt.

One of the riders looked up at the captain and walked slowly forward. He was the same man as Martin had seen. He was lanky and was a few inches taller than the captain. He wore a blue jacket with strange ribs on the sleeves that Martin supposed were metal to protect the rider's arms. He also wore thick pants and boots that rose to his knees. A pair of goggles was situated on his forehead in a comical manner and he had a smile on his face. He saluted the captain in the same manner as he had Martin and spoke.

"Hi there. This is Tron, my dragon. That's Matthias and his dragon Hoth. My name is Carn. You must be the captain of this fine ship. The _Wind Rider_, no?"

The captain nodded, stunned. He shook Carn's outstretched hand and nodded again. He didn't know what to do with this strange person who had flown into his ship on a dragon.

He didn't need to do anything as Carn turned and yelled to the other rider. "Matthias come here and say hello. We should be friendly to these people."

The other rider got up from his position by the door and came forward. He was shorter that Carn and not as lanky. He wore a white jacket with a red fur around the neck. His pants and boot were the same as Carn's and he also wore goggles. His face was something Martin had never seen. The eyes were sharp and bright yellow. His hair was white and spiky. A very long sword hung at his side and a dagger stuck out of his boot.

"Hello," he said simply as he also shook the captain's hand.

"Welcome gentlemen," the captain replied and motioned the men to come further into the ship. "Would you care to join us in the lounge? Food is available if you want to…"

Matthias shook his head. "No, we must return to our ship. You are welcome there any time if you wish. We are in troubled airspace and it would be best for the ships to stay together. Come Carn, we have work to do."

With that, he sprinted to the door and jumped out into open air with his dragon behind him. Carn shrugged, smiled at the captain, and followed into thin air.


	4. Chapter 3: The Riders

**Chapter 3: The Riders**

The two riders returned to their airship and landed in the main room. It was a large room, big enough for the four total dragons that lived aboard the ship. Matthias and Carn slipped of their dragons and helped take the light flying saddles of the dragons' backs. Tron lumbered off into his corner and settled down to rest. Hoth flew back into the open air, having hinted about going hunting.

"So what do you think of them?" Carn asked as he hung his jacket on the wall, "Are they trustworthy?"

"Don't be silly, they are simply a cruiseliner, they know nothing of the skies," Matthias replied. He bent down and pulled the captain's revolver from his boot. "See, a simple gun from the academy for airships in Rome. He probably doesn't even know how to use this thing."

Carn stared at his friend. "How did you get that? I saw it in his belt, but how did you steal it?"

"Easy, same way as I stole the knife out of Tron's saddle that you keep in the stirrup." He showed the slim blade to Carn's astonished face.

Carn grabbed the knife and dismissed the matter. He finished with the saddle and moved into the dinning room. He sat down and poured himself a glass of water. Matthias sat down opposite and grinned.

Wing beats were heard as the two other riders arrived. They stomped around in the main room and entered the dinning room.

The first was a rider carrying a bow in his hands, a mallan over his shoulder. He wore a dark green tunic and brown pants. His face was obscured behind a curtain of dark hair that hung down over his nose. He shook it aside to smile at the two in the room.

The other rider pushed him along with his hand. He was a tall rider. He also carried a bow, but no bird. His tunic was orange and had black trim in an ornate pattern. His face was set in a grimace and he motioned to a cut on his arm. It was the beak mark of a large mallan, most likely the one the first rider was holding.

"Carth almost shot me!" he exclaimed. "Stupid bird attacked me and was two feet from my head when this idiot shot it with a fire arrow."

Carth smiled and shrugged. He threw the bird on the table and all could see that it was a worthy prize. He gestured at Evander and passed a cloth to him to bind the wound.

"Did you see that other airship? It was massive! I haven't seen one so big before." Evander said, referring to the Wind Rider.

"We met her captain today and agreed on escorting her. Those people are useless in the air." Matthias said. "I pity them, but they can help us too."

"What ever you saw hawk boy," Carn grinned and ducked as Matthias threw the mallan at him. It then did a strange thing. The dead bird curved in mid-flight and headed back for Carn. It contacted with his head and sent it forward into the table.

"Hey, no elemental powers in the ship unless for work!" Carn exclaimed as he rubbed his head.

Matthias smiled, got up, and went to train in the next room with his long sword.


	5. Chapter 4: Matthias

…The rider Matthias has a past that is unknown to his companions. Later that night, he explains his life to them after dinner…

**Chapter 4: Matthias**

Matthias was born in the sky. He was born to the sky. His mother died in childbirth and the baby boy was raised on a sky dock, a refilling station for leaking airships. He had a fascination with the open air that filled his being. He longed to be free and to dance in the winds. Of course, that was impossible so he spent his time learning to fly an airplane. He became fully competent at fifteen and took long flights into the sky.

He first met Hoth upon a cloud. Hoth's mother also died at the time of his birth and Matthias felt connected to the young dragon, alone in the world. Mathias did not know what happened in the next years, but those were the years of his transformation. He gained hi appearance of a bird of prey and became connected with Hoth, who continued to grow as he did. They were fully grown on Matthias's twentieth birthday.

Over his life, Matthias acquired the power to bend air to his will. His understanding grew and he became powerful in the art. He and his dragon were the rulers of the sky and there was nothing they couldn't do. At that point, they had met with Carn and the airship they currently live in. Carn had been hiding there with another hatchling dragon and was struggling to survive. With another dragon around, the young one became healthy and Tron became full grown.

Matthias was not the most outlandish person, so he did not agree with Carn's plans of fame and instead took to homing his powers and skills with a weapon. He and Carn spared in the cabin of the airship for weeks until they were both skilled with a blade. Matthias also began to teach Carn the basics of elemental bending and Carn learned basic technique and found talent with water. Both talents allowed Carn and Matthias to survive without leaving the skies.


	6. Chapter 5: Enemy

_…the Wind Rider and the dragon's airship are not the only ships in the sky. What happens when there are hostile ships in the area…?_

**Chapter 5: Enemy**

The wind blew strongly the next day. After helping calm all the passengers down who had seen the dragons, Martin returned to his room after a long day. He lay down in his bunk and was soon fast asleep. He slept soundly and awoke in the late evening with the wind silent and dead. He sat up and looked out to port hole at the lack clouds that covered the sky. The stars shimmered above the gas bag and all around the dome of the world. Below, in the blind spot of the airship was the other blimp, dark except for one light in a window in the control room.

Martin settled back and noticed a paged wedged under his door. It had the looks of a message that was usually distributed to all crewmen for announcements. He reached over and tugged it out. It had a hand written message that read:

_To Select Airmen,_

_Tonight, a small party of our men has been allowed to visit the dragon ship for dinner. Please, see to your regular duties and then report to the staff mess at 2100. Wear dress uniform. DO NOT OFFEND THE RDERS IN ANY WAY!_

_Best Wishes,_

_First Mate Cartena_

Martin was surprised that he had been hand picked to meet the guests again. He got up and realized that he must be down at the dining room in twenty minutes, or be late. He dressed hurriedly and climbed the ladder to the catwalk that would take him to his destination.

After returning to his room, he made his way to the mess wearing full uniform. This consisted of a light blue coat, white pants, and matching black gloves, belt, and boots. Since he was a senior member, he also wore the gold shoulder braid that made him proud. All the others that were going were already there, with the exception of the captain. He soon arrived and they trooped to the door and out onto the bridge waiting for them.

Martin became nauseous as they crossed the narrow bridge, over a mile above the ground. He saw many of the younger officers the same way but noted that the crew in charge of ship repairs seemed to enjoy the experience.

They entered the ship through the dining room and milled around until Carn showed his head through one of the doors. He wore the same cloths as earlier, but they were clean. He kept the door as closed a possible as he passed through, but the airmen caught sight of a large room in which his dragon and another resided.

"Hello, welcome to our modest ship. It isn't as fancy as yours, but it is comfortable. Sit down and make yourselves comfortable. Evander will be in shortly with food. He is very good at cooking."

The men sat and took off their gloves. Martin sat along one of the longer sides and peered around the room. It was a decent size. Wood paneling covered the lover walls and the upper half was a deep green. The table itself was of the same wood and had carvings under the finish that were intriguing to study.

Martin was doing just that when both Evander and Matthias came crashing into the room at the same time. Matthias noticed Evander and let him put down his tray of food, still steaming, before pushing him toward the bow.

They came back five minutes later with Carth, another rider, on their heels.Evander looked surprised and Matthias a little shaken. He motioned to the group of men and explained.

"Excuse me gentlemen, but we have a problem. Hoth, my dragon, had noticed a large fleet of unnamed airships headed this way. They have seen the Wind Rider and her safety is in jeopardy as well as the people you have aboard. We will attempt to take care of the problem, but we may need your help."

He walked to the captain's chair and handed the man his stolen pistol and whispered a few words. The, without further words, he moved into the dragon room and closed the door. Evander waved good bye and also left the room.

"Men, back to the Wind Rider. Move quickly! All pilots, get to the hanger and your planes. We must defend the ship!"

Martin looked as they trooped across the bridge. He could see a huddle of bright lights on the horizon, and he swallowed.


	7. Chapter 7: Evander

…_A rider discovers the ancient home of the dragons, when their population was greater. Using their writings, he wanders the earth looking for dragon survivors. He locates an egg, and it hatches for him. Not wishing to be alone, the pair searches the globe for others. They find what they were looking for…_

**Chapter 7: Evander**

Evander stretched out and lay down on the metal roof of the airship. The sun glared off the metal skin and windows, so he lay on his back and avoided looking at the ship. Off to his right, he could see the Wind Rider, her engine props spinning idly in the northern breeze. Small flocks of mallan circled over the clouds and he could see Carn out chasing them on his dragon. Fool, Evander thought, he could be seen by the passengers of the Wind Rider, and that would create questions. Lazily, he took a small flint from his pocket and struck a spark. Using the technique that Matthias had taught him, he made the fire hang in mid-air, then rotate in a whirling wheel of flame.

A large puff of smoke tinged wind blew the wheel into oblivion. Evander rolled over and looked into the face of his dragon. Zephyr stared right back at him in mild amusement as Evander stood up. He gave his dragon a light pat on the large nose and the dragon's eyes closed with contentment.

"Do you want to eat, is that it?" Evander asked. The dragon nodded in response and Evander smiled. He picked his vest up from the airship and slid it over his shoulders. The vest was hand-made by Evander. The plans had come from the ancient temple he had discovered ten years ago. Inside was a wealth of information about the ancient dragons and their riders. The vest was a deep orange and had a curved pattern on the collar and around one shoulder. He loved the vest, it was that of a high ranking dragon rider, as was the ornate saddle on Zephyr's back.

He rounded the massive head of Zephyr and hopped into the saddle. The fighting straps were attached, for Zephyr must have wanted to go after mallan without a bow. The birds were hard to catch and usually required a bow and a quick eye. The fat ones were slower and there seemed to be many in the sky at that time.

Evander touched the dragon's neck and the creature launched itself from the ship with a massive force. Evander was snapped back in the saddle as they took a giant plunge into the flock below the ship. Zephyr had been right. Evander caught one bird around the neck with his hand and his dragon had consumed two whole. Evander looked startled at the bird in his hand, still alive and trying vainly to bite him as the other had done two days before.

The lucky bird was jerked from his hand as Zephyr dived again and Evander grabbed the horn of the saddle, not wanting another bird in his hand and no idea what to do with it. Zephyr caught five more birds, a feast, before he made for the cabin of their home.

After he had untied himself, he noticed Matthias and Hoth in one corner. Matthias still had his shoulder bandaged and he waved with his free hand. He pointed to where Carn and his dragon slept and Evander saw five more mallan stacked neatly in a pile.

"Good hunting day, I assume. Hoth caught three without jumping off the ledge over there. Stupid birds." Matthias called over the snoring of Hoth.

Evander nodded and looked at the bulging belly of Zephyr. The dragon moved to his favorite spot and lay down. He began to snore in a very short time. Evander in the meantime leaned against Zephyr's side and turned to Matthias and began another spark. Matthias grinned as Evander turned the spark into the spinning inferno again. He created a small whirlwind on the palm of his hand and the two silently tried to conquer the other element. Matthias won easily, but not after Evander had seen a slight grimace of concentration. Evander was getting better.

They tried three more times, with the outcome the same. On there fourth, the other two riders and their dragons entered the room and Carth threw two more mallan at Evander.

"That makes seven for us tonight. We will eat well, like the people on the Wind Rider!" Carn said, throwing his boots into a corner and rubbing his sore feet. All four agreed and Evander went into the kitchen to cook.

He thought to himself as he brought the stove into life without any power needed, he was too tired. He couldn't remember when he began to cook, but he enjoyed it. The experience felt fulfilling. He began to whistle a happy tune, and, in the next room, heard Zephyr begin to hum the tune with him, making a joyous harmony.


	8. Chapter 8: Monster

… _Humans are no the only creatures aloft. Unknown to the travelers of the sky, monsters of lore reside in the clouds, whether friendly or not is yet to be seen…_

**Chapter 8: Monster**

Martin reclined in the hammock that was strung between the two girders. Today was his day off, and this is how he liked to spend it. The engines hummed gently two decks below. The sound created a lullaby, soothing to the ears, calming to the mind. He fell asleep in the calm air's embrace.

Martin was thrown from the hammock and down six feet onto the ground below. He tried to stand up, but the deck shifted violently under his feet and pitched him across the waxed floor. He crawled to the nearest ladder and tried to climb down, but the deck shifted again and he was thrown from the ladder onto the catwalk below. He could hear the agonized groaning of the steel and crashing of glass below in the dining room. He looked along the catwalk and blood trickled into his eyes, clouding his vision. He could make out the line of the door to the control room and he crawled toward it.

He made it to the door with minimal trouble but the door was flung open and hit him squarely in the face. He fell over in pain and found arms supporting him. They dragged him inside and laid him on the balcony of the control room.

A cloth wiped at his forehead and someone was caring for a cut on his arm as well. He could hear shouts and cries in the room, as if more people were injured. Another shockwave stopped the care as the caregivers were forced to grab the nearest rail and hold on.

"Sir, it is tearing a gash in the port tanks, buoyancy away list, ten degrees!"

"Port prop malfunctioning, engine car damaged!"

"Port stabilizer off, fifteen percent! We could stall!"

Martin looked up and asked the nearest crewman what in the world was going on. The crewman pointed to the window and Martin almost fainted with horror. An enormous orange eye, fire blazing within, glared wrathfully in at all of them. One crewman pulled a pistol from his boot and shot at the eye. The bullet only made the creature madder as it pulled back a transparent lid from the eyeball and screamed, a high piercing scream that made all the men fall over and clench at their ears.

The eye vanished and the sky could be seen. Then with a horrible scream of metal, a hole was torn into the control room. Teeth, more that four feet long protruded through what was left. Martin found himself trapped, one leg between the floor and a metal beam. He could feel the airship being pushed to the left by the creature as it tried to free itself. The airship would be destroyed! The creature would kill them all.

Suddenly, four roars were heard, exploding through the air. The creature withdrew and as it did, Martin saw the four dragons in formation diving at its back. He smiled with relief, and fainted.


	9. Chapter 9: Conquest

_Alerted by their dragons, the riders are alarmed to see the Wind Rider under attack by a denizen of the sky. Having only fought an enemy of this power, they proceed with caution. However, caution has never been their strong point, and it may come back to haunt them…_

**Chapter 9: Conquest**

Matthias, Carn, Carth, and Evander were a blur in the cabin as they put on various weapons and armor. Each had a stern grimace on their faces and Carn kept trying to jump into combat without armor, his pants, or his sword. His dragon prevented him each time, but even the dragon grew restless. It drummed its claws on the floor and growled deeply.

Finally they were all prepared and each strapped themselves into the fighting straps on the saddle. Matthias tightened his loosely and folded the extra behind his calf. He noticed that Carth was doing the same. He knew that neither of them wanted to fight from dragonback for very long.

On a signal from Carn, the lead rider, each dragon hurled themselves off the deck and through the bay doors. The wind whipped at their faces and invigorated both men and dragon. A fighting spirit woke in all of them and they turned toward their target.

Evander almost blanched as he saw the size of the serpent. It was longer than the Wind Rider itself, a dark grey, and was ramming its head into the control car. He began a roar that was taken up by his mount and then by all eight. The noise rebounded off the airship and startled the beast. It turned and found four balls of flame in its face. Letting out a scream, it dived, then turned and charged. Carn took the bow from his back and let an arrow fly straight into the beast's face. It struck in the corner of the eye and the beast jolted to the right.

Matthias and Carth already had out their swords and rammed them into the neck of the beast as it passed. Carn and his dragon wheeled, and the beast smashed into the dragon's stomach. Carn fell off, and both rider and dragon plummeted through the sky.

Evander roared and leaned over Zephyr's neck. Zephyr charged forward and veered at the last moment. Evander's long sword cut into the beast, opening a gash across its wing. Crippled, it formed into a hovering ball and began to snap at the nearest dragon.

Matthias and Hoth charged next, two short swords extended. As Hoth passed, Matthias leaped off and flew through the air, landing on the uninjured wing. Matthias sprinted up to the wing base and sunk one of the weapons into the soft spot in between the shoulder blades.

Another scream came from the beast, making all four cringe. Face contorted, Matthias made his way to the head. As he reached the base of the neck, the beast dropped through the air, and jack knifed it's back. Matthias went airborne and the beast continued its rotation as Matthias began to come down. It opened its enormous mouth and waited for Matthias to fall into the awaiting jaws.

At the last minute, Matthias flipped himself over and pulled the two handed sword from its scabbard on his back. He did a front flip and smashed the blade into the nose of the beast of the sky. The blade cut deeply, pushed by Matthias's weight. In the same motion, the blade was pulled out and Matthias rolled along the face of the monster and slammed the blade into the space between its eyes. The edge of the blade met with skin and bone and tore both open. Matthias jumped clear, into thin air, as the beast gave a tremendous shake, and began to fall from the sky, vanquished.

As Matthias looked after it, one eye stared up at him, as menacing dead as alive. He sighed and let the air caress his body. Hoth came around and Matthias fell into the saddle. He felt very tired and weary, having had two battles of large proportions in one week.

Evander came along side, clamping a wound on his leg. "Carn fell. I don't know if his dragon saved him, or even what is below the clouds. The Wind Rider is heavily damaged and can't go far. I'll tell whoever is still alive to make her come to the surface. You and Carth go look for Carn."

Matthias nodded solemnly and followed Carth through the clouds, where he hadn't been for years. He hoped that Carn would be unharmed, but a fall and crash like that could kill someone easily.


	10. Chapter 10: Land

AN: Sorry for the short chapter, but the next one was longer than anticipated, so I wanted to keep that one chapter. Thanks for reading this far.

_After falling from the sky, Carn and his dragon come in contact with the surface of the planet, something he hasn't experienced for years. Will he and his friend be able to return to the skies or stay landlocked?_

**Chapter 10: Land**

Carn picked up his head and looked around groggily. He lay on a beach, very white with small waves lapping around his feet. He tried to stand but his entire body ached and he fell face-first onto the sand. He rolled over and stared up into the air. He could only see clouds. He wished he knew what had happened to his comrades and more importantly, his dragon.

He finally sat up and evaluated the beach. It was long and stretched out into a crescent sandbar. Behind the sand was a rocky embankment. On top of those were trees that he had never seen before, but considering he hadn't been on the ground in years, he didn't try to guess. The air was slightly warm, but not tropical as he had expected.

Looking himself over, he saw that his clothes were slightly tattered and his boots were scraped in several places. Somehow his sword was still at his side, as were his dueling dirks. The bow was long gone, as were the arrows. Looking at his boot, he found a small hole that was bleeding. He looked it over more closely and found one of the arrows that had broken off behind the head. He wrapped a piece of his shirt around the wound and stood up unsteadily.

The sun was from the east and he determined that is was mid-morning. The sun hung over the land, falling through the leaves of the trees. Not wanting to be imprisoned in the trees, he made his way along the beach.

As he rounded the bend in the beach, he finally saw his dragon, stretched out on the sand like a beached whale. He hobbled over and patted the massive head. The dragon looked over at him and rumbled a note of happiness. Carn sat down and ran his hand over the muzzle. The dragon was in the same shape he was, and that was bad. They couldn't fly any time soon, and he hoped the others would come looking for them.

The dragon stiffened and Carn turned, sword in hand. The trees blew in the breeze. Carn relaxed, he must be jumpy on land, it was all in their heads.

* * *

Carn sat by the fire that was nested in a hole in the sand. He had made a makeshift camp, no more than a fire and sort of nest for dragon and rider. His dragon had rolled over and was watching him pick at the bones of a small bird, all he could catch for dinner. His condition hadn't improved much, he was sore all over. He realized that he must have fallen over one hundred feet into the ocean and only his armor or dragon had saved his life.

He heard the noise twice that day, a light rustling in the woods along the shore, but when he looked, nothing was there. He heard the noise again and this time threw one of the dirks into the forest out of frustration.

He had turned back to the fire, when all of the sudden, the dagger was thrown from the tree line and landed in the sand inches from his hand. He dived and rolled over to the protective bulk of his dragon. He peered into the trees again, but nothing appeared.


	11. Chapter 11: Fighting for Life

**Chapter 11: Fight for Life**

Carn stiffened as a dart hit him in the side of the neck. Instantly, he jerked it out and examined the dart. It was painted to resemble a small bird with a long, sharp beak. The needle glinted evilly as the moonlight reflected it. Another pain sprung up in his arm. He tried to duck, but the air was suddenly full of soft whistling. Three more darts struck him, one in the back, one the neck, one the thigh.

A chill began to spread from the darts. He tried to pull them out, but the venom was already running its course. He ducked down and pulled his sword out from its scabbard. He raised his head and rolled as more noise made its way to his ears. He couldn't move as quickly and two more darts hit there mark.

… _Is this where I die? Are they trying to kill me?..._

Carn's body was becoming lethargic and his movements too slow for his commands. Through clouding eyes, he could see dark figures moving from the shade of the trees.

…_Nice welcoming party. Something to make the guest feel at home…_

He slumped to his knees, unable to stand. The figures moved slowly forward. Moon light glinted off spears and other weapons held in there hands. Some held the long blow guns that were unleashing their killer birds toward him. Each one stung and numbed his skin, leaving a feeling of frostbite on each bite.

… _Cowards, not even trying to come any closer. That guy probably doesn't even know how to use that sword. Fool, most likely got it off another person like me…_

The men closed in around him, making a circle and watched him struggle against the poison. They grinned malevolently, their teeth yellow. One made a noise that sounded like the rasping of a blade, and Carn realized that he was snickering.

… _Laugh at me while I'm down, will you? Think you are more powerful, eh? Think you'll beat me, do you? Well, bring it on…_

Carn struggled to his feet, each movement a torture. He would not die at the hands of these disgusting people who thought they could best him. He managed to stand, but the ring closed in upon him, some of the figures darting in to stab him with a dart before leaping to safety. They were playing with him, taunting him as he died. More began to laugh and more people came from the trees to watch this stranger become weaker and weaker.

…_Damn you, damn all of you…_

Children ran down the beach to get a better view as the stranger slumped and fell to his knees again.

…_You won't beat me…_

Women came to watch, and all the people were laughing at Carn and his dragon, which they had left untouched, for it would snap at any of the natives if they came too near. It could protect itself, but not that man over there, he is defenseless.

…_No…_

A roar erupted from the center of the circle of men and children. A wave of energy ran across the beach, making the trees wave and the sand to swirl. The watchers on the outside of the ring fled, screaming to the safety of the trees. The circle was broken and in the center stood a hunched figure.

Carn stood, a silhouette against the moon. His knees were bent, shoulders hunched. Both hands rested on his sword, its tip on the sand in front of him. Blue flames licked up the metal and the same light emanated from his eyes. Around him lay a circle of men, stunned by the wave. He straightened and his blazing eyes turned upon the watchers in the trees.

An arrow flew from the darkness and headed for Carn. Carn brought his sword around in a blue arc and caught the arrow in midair. With a twitch of the point, it split cleanly in two and landed on the sand. More arrows flew at him, but he swept the blazing blade around again and each arrow was halved, head from feathers.

He began to advance up the beach and the people fled farther into the darkness, screaming their throats dry. They were terrorized by the blue flame and the person who wielded it, the rider of the blue flame.


	12. Chapter 12: Shipwrecked

… _After the battle, the _Wind Rider _had taken extreme damage. Crippled and battered, it lost enough of its precious lifting gas to have to land for repairs. The riders of the dragons can do nothing, as their airship is running on less than enough to support both her and the _Wind Rider_. The plan is to descend below cloud cover and find a suitable island or shoal to use to make repairs…_

**Chapter 12: Shipwrecked**

"Down ballast fifteen degrees. Rudders up two clicks. Won't go that far? Down one click then. Engines at fifty percent. Mr. Taylor, try and fix that boom, it will brain one of us if it swings the wrong direction. Where's my coffee?"

The first mate shouted orders around the control compartment as if the ship was in his commands. The captain of the ship was in the rear, explaining the situation to the petrified passengers. The airship was slowly descending and Martin could feel it dropping ever so slightly beneath his feet. The clouds loomed before the shattered windows of the car, blowing chilled mist across everyone present. Martin shivered because his long sleeved shirt had gone to patching a crewman's arm.

The clouds broke and Martin gasped along with many of the crewmen. Two thousand feet below them lay and endless expanse of the brightest blue water he had ever seen, marked here and there with green blots surrounded with bands of pure white. Pink smears indicated coral reefs and whales could be vaguely seen off the port side. It seemed to Martin that the world had been inverted, after having floated across a sea of white and a sky of blue.

"Coming on one thousand feet. Straighten out rudder. Level off. Set heading for two-o-eighty degrees. Spotters, look for an island that has a good sized beach."

"Sir, good island off the starboard side, set course two-o-sixty, Sir"

The first mate called out more commands and the bow of the ship swung around and the anchor needle pointed at the specific island. The ship kept sinking and the island came closer.

Suddenly there was a loud explosion and the ship lurched alarmingly to the side. Its falling speed increased and wind began to whistle through the broken windows. The mate leaped at the communications officer and grabbed the headset from off his head. His face turned pale and he rushed to the gas panel, where the statuses of the gas bags were displayed. Half way there, his head jerked back as he reached the end of the cord, and it would have been comical had the ship not been pointing seaward at an alarming angle. As he fell back, Martin saw that three of the precious ten bags had completely been whipped out, signaled by flashing red lights on the control board.

* * *

From outside, Matthias, Evander, and Carth circled the airship, watching emergency crews clambering over the silver sides like ants, patching any hole they found. Evander was watching Carth as he broke ice off his clothing, for he had been patrolling the clouds and was now covered in ice.

Suddenly, an explosion rent the calm just as an enormous gash in the Wind Rider's skin appeared. The two flaps waved wildly and Evander began to feel light headed from the escaping gas. Matthias was holding on to the saddle horn, the gas had blown him completely out of his seat. The ship began falling much faster and tilted to one side, away from the island they were heading for. The crewmen on the sides held onto their lifelines for dear life and bounced helplessly off the lower half of the airships bulge.

The dragons began to circle the airship, but because of its mass, there was nothing any of them could do. They watched the ship plummet toward an island densely covered in trees. Each pointed up like a deadly needle to the ship, waiting to pierce its skin and gas bags.

"Get back, I want to try something!" Matthias yelled over the noise of the distressed engines. Hoth swooped to the bow of the airship and distanced himself from the ship to give Matthias time. Matthias stood in his stirrups…

* * *

Martin glanced out the bow window at the land that was fast approaching. Things began to slide across the metal floor as the pitch of the ship increased. He clung to a pipe to avoid slipping. He noticed the white dragon placing itself into the path of the approaching bulk, beating its wings strongly to stay hovering.

* * *

Matthias held his right arm in front of him, his left held back for support. He shut his eyes, and then opened them with a snap. The ship began to slow as it ran into resistance in the sky, a wall of circulating wind. A vein began to show on his face as Matthias struggled to slow the ship. Little by little, it inched to a stop, and then began a slow decent onto into the canopy of trees as the wall shifted from in front to under the _Wind Rider. _Thirty feet above the trees, his strength gave out and he collapsed across the neck of Hoth. The airship plummeted again, but landed in the treetops with a dull thump. 


End file.
